Books
On my journey of discovery into lean and leadership I try to read as much as I can. It is a great way to broaden your perspectives, to gain insights from deep thinkers and different practices.
Below you will find a few gems that I can recommend for others on their respective journey. Paired with each recommendation in a short summary on what it contains and why I feel it is a good read.
The links on this page are NOT affiliate links, I just wanted to make it easier for you to find the book if you found it interesting.
2 SECOND LEAN by Paul A. Akers | |
![]() Amazon: US | UK | Synopsis: 2 Second Lean is all about "Continuous Improvement." It’s a practical way to improve your life every day by making a simple 2 second improvement. Join author, business expert, internet show host, and international speaker, Paul A. Akers, as he takes us on a LEAN journey that will transform every aspect our lives... from home to the office. My views: Paul Akers is a high energy person and it is hard not get caught up in his energy. He views every single problem he enounters as an opportunity to improve. I this book he focuses on the little things that add up to alot. |
GEMBA WALKS, EXPANDED 2ND EDITION by James P. Womack | |
![]() Amazon: US | UK | Synopsis: In 12 new essays, ranging from the provocative to the practical and written specially for the second edition of Gemba Walks author and management expert Jim Womack reflects on the past 30 years of lean, and assesses the current state of lean today. My Views: Often you read about the theoretical aspects of Lean and realize there is a big gap from theory to practice. This book contains detailed themed examples of how lean can be applied in practice.There are also examples of when the outcome was less than satisfactory. A great book for anyone. |
LEAN THINKING by James P. Womack | |
![]() Amazon: US | UK | Synopsis: It tells the story of how American, European, and Japanese firms applied a simple set of principles called 'lean thinking' to survive the recession of 1991 and grow steadily in sales and profits through 1996. Even though the recession of 1997 never happened, companies were starving for information on how to make themselves leaner and more efficient. My views: For me this was the start of a more practical approach to Lean. The book contain many detailed examples giving great insight into the process of Lean Manufacturing. Some examples are a bit dated but still a good insight. For me this made my head spin and woke a hunger for more. |
THE MACHINE THAT CHANGES THE WORLD by James P. Womack, Daniel T. Jones & Daniel Roos | |
![]() Amazon: US | UK | Synopsis: Authors Womack, Jones, and Roos provided a comprehensive description of the entire lean system. They exhaustively documented its advantages over the mass production model pioneered by General Motors and predicted that lean production would eventually triumph. Indeed, they argued that it would triumph not just in manufacturing but in every value-creating activity from health care to retail to distribution. My views: The book that started it all. At the time Toyota was already a large company but nothing compared to how it would grow the coming years. This is a very interesting look at where we where 30 years ago. |
THE TOYOTA WAY by Jeffrey K. Liker | |
![]() Amazon: US | UK | Synopsis: Jeffrey K. Liker provides a deep dive into Toyota’s world-changing processes, showing how you can learn from it to develop your own improvement program that fits your conditions. Thanks in large part to this book, managers across the globe are creating workforces and systems that produce the highest-quality products and services, establish and retain customer loyalty, and drive business profitability and sustainability. My views: This book describe the origins of The Toyota Way and what we today call Lean Manufacturing. It is a great insight into why Lean have become what it is today. It contains many examples giving insight into how important it is to have a balance between tools and culture. It is also a good source for much of the terminology found in Lean. |
THIS IS LEAN by Niklas Modig & Pär Ahlström | |
![]() Amazon: US | UK | Synopsis: Lean is the most widespread management philosophy of our time and is currently present in every industry, yet the concept is still vaguely defined and widely misunderstood. By using clear, concise language and insightful examples, the book has brought greater clarification to the essence of lean and revolutionized top-executives and employees understanding of what lean actually is. My views: A good place to start for someone wanting to get into Lean. It is concise and give a good overview with some examples. I doesn't dive deep into the origins from Toyota but there are plenty of other books that do. |
THE PETER PRINCIPLE by Laurence J. Peter | |
![]() Amazon: US | UK | Synopsis: This simple maxim, defined by this classic book over 40 years ago, has become a beacon of truth in the world of work. From the civil service to multinational companies to hospital management, it explains why things constantly go wrong: promotion up a hierarchy inevitably leads to over-promotion and incompetence. My views: A funny and witty perspective into what could be called "The vertical promotion fallacy". I wish it wheren't so but it seems to hold a lot of truth. Being promoted vertically is not more of what you do today but a whole new ballgame, atleast in part. Can you really be prepared for such shift? Will you succeed or will you be misserable? |